It's already heating up in NC right now....like upper 80s hot . Which always leaves me scrambling to find that perfect summer dress. One that I can take me from poolside to cocktails plus it has pockets <insert every girls' squeal here>.

But don't worry, I'm not waiting until summer actually hits to break this bad boy out. I've worn it about (what feels like) 30 times since purchasing it, or maybe that's how many times I've wanted to put it on. Easy, breezy, and versatile - all what I need in my life these days.

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During last week's Mom Talk Tuesday, some of my insight I give is about finding your tribe of people. It's something that, though I only devoted a few sentences to it, I couldn't live without. I've been fortunate enough in my life to be surrounded by truly incredibly people. People with different backgrounds, experiences - some with no kids, one kid, a few kids - people who have loved & lost and all of them have lent themselves to me. They are insightful, hilarious, forgiving, and beautiful people both insight and out. I'm eternally grateful for them.

And I had an opportunity to hang with some of those amazing humans a few weeks ago for a mother's day brunch at Josephine's gorgeous new home. There's something about time with friends that is just good for the soul. There were a lot of laughs, amazing food, & scrumptious drinks. Not to mention beautiful decor & florals. It was the perfect way to kick off the season & also a great idea to celebrate the other mothers & friends in your life.

Leopard continues to be everywhere right now and I simply fell in love with this skirt when I saw it. Having a traditional leopard print skirt already in my arsenal, finding one that was an alternative color, to me, justified an additional one. But let's me real, I can justify practically any purchase if I try hard enough.

It's really not a hard sell to rock this print for me, but if you are thinking you aren't sure you can pull it off - I've paired this skirt with heels, with sneakers, with a sweater, with a tee shirt. Trust me, you can rock it, no matter what your style is.

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When my dear friend Maggie from The Polished Closets invited me to be a part of her Mom Talk Tuesday series, I jumped at the chance. Not only does Maggie serve as a part of my tribe of people, she's also my gut-check for parenting (her son & our girls are only a few months a part), she's always happy to celebrate large & small victories over a glass of wine, plus she has fantastic style. After you are done over here, I hope you head on over to Maggie's site, as well as Nina's to read their take on balance in motherhood.

I've written on the topic of balance as a working mother before, but this was before we added two more little ones to our family. Now even more than ever, balance is a sticky wicket. The more that I attempt to attain it, the less it seems within my grasp. Between a full-time gig, an active 7-year-old, a set of nearly-two-year-olds, a husband, & a dog - I have a lot of balls in the air. In fact, how I refer to our lives these days is an exercise in juggling.

And here's a very well kept secret I'm sharing today - I don't excel in juggling whether it be literal or metaphorical. It's definitely an intentional practice and something that I work tremendously hard to maintain. And what comes with that are some tips & tools that I subscribe to that help that juggling act go a little easier in our day to day.

Flexibility is the key to getting through the day, the week, the year.
I will be the first person to cop to the fact that I am a Type A person. I thrive in a structured, controlled environment. There's some theories out there that children do as well. However, if there is one thing that I know for certain is that children are unpredictable even with out best efforts to make things are consistent for them as possible. I found that the more that I got set on a certain way of doing things, when things (inevitably) went awry, I got more bent out shape (as do the kids). There are days that go smoothly & there are days that are, well, complete shit. Learning to roll with the punches, adjusting, & course correcting as need be & being okay with it are paramount to my success in parenting and managing to juggle both work & life.Determine what is worth your time, energy, & effort - then farm the rest out.
In this day & age when everything is so carefully & beautifully curated around us, it's easy to fall into the trap that you have to do it all. I stand by the fact that you don't. Prioritize what is important to you and find a way to farm out the rest. For someone who works a traditional 9-5, 5 days a week job, I try to find services that can help out either on week nights and/or over the weekend. We value time with our family since we don't get a ton during the week. So services which can give us time back over the weekends are where we look to farm out - Cut out doing laundry by hiring a laundry service ; Hire a housekeeper to come into your home even once a month; Bring in someone to take care of your lawn; Order food on a weeknight from a local restaurant via a food delivery service (we love DoorDash). Basically finding anything that makes your life a little easier and gives you time back in your day.Find your tribe & keep them close.
I mentioned earlier that Maggie is a part of that tribe. I cannot tell you how much I rely on these people - they are my sounding-boards, my gut-checks, they laugh with me, cry with me, curse with me. They've been with me from coffee to cocktails to late night ice cream. Motherhood is hard, but it's even harder in a silo. You don't always have to share the exact same parenting mantras, but when you have a group of people who get you & support you, it makes this adventure a lot easier.Accept you don't have to be all things to all people.
Everyone wants to be able to do it all, but I truly believe that you don't have to do it all in the traditional sense. Rather, I believe that you should do your own version of doing it all. And that includes knowing that it's OK to let go of what isn't important to you or a priority.

It's OK to say No

It's OK to guard your time

It's OK to be all things to your people, but not all people.

Carve out time for yourself & guard it well.
Self-care is a big term these days, but what it really comes down to is finding something for yourself whether it be an activity like working out, taking time to take physical care of yourself, or even just finding time to sit quietly without a thousand things pulling at you. Over the past six months, I've started to carve out time for myself by working out. We also try very hard to stick to a strict bedtime - having time to decompress at the end of the day even after we tidy up the house, is tremendously important to feeling more balanced for me.and lastly, always carry snacks.
I have found that very few things can't be fixed or righted with a snack. (Even if it's for you & not the smaller brethren that you manage).

Don't forget to head on over to the other hostesses of Mom Talk Tuesdays to read their take on the topic:

I've said it before and I will say it again, if I had a signature print, it would be the polka dot. I really don't discriminate when it comes to polka dots - large, small, colored - I am here for it. And this Spring, I am living my best life with all of the options that are out there.

The best thing about polka dots is that they are super versatile - from work to play, you can break them out for any occasion. This top is a great example of that. I've worn it from work meetings to under overalls <insert your favorite clueless or farmer joke here>. I'll tell you this though, overalls are where it's at.

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With last Wednesday being the first official day of Spring, I was more than eager to break out the florals. Though I stand firm that florals belong year-round, with the sun being out more now it just puts you in a particular mood for florals. Even though they aren't groundbreaking for spring, they still are a fun and playful way to dress for the season in a very easy way.

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If you are new to these parts, you should probably know about me is that I love Valentine's Day. I get it - it's corny and sugary and a manufactured holiday, but whether it's the pink or the saccharine sweetness - I'm here for it. Usually Scott and I don't like to fight the crowds on the holiday and have a nice dinner just us after the kiddos go down. However, this year we decided to go a different course. Our schedules are a little insane these next couple of weeks so we opted to go out instead. We have a sitter, a nice dinner planned, and we are going to see the Charlotte Ballet's Innovative Works.

With my love of Valentine's Day, it should come as no surprise that I love a good themed outfit. And this one hits all the marks - fun prints, an unexpected tight, & a pop of color. This dress has the right amount of flounce, ruffle, and is such a fun pattern.

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